Occam’s Razor: The principle of parsimony

Oftentimes the easiest solution is the most simple solution, rather, the least amount of parts is lessened to arrive at that conclusion; an explanation with the smallest set of elements, as it were. How do we so easily overcomplicate and intellectualize our word to such a calibrated magnitudinal chasm of perseveration and feedback loops? It should be no wonder why so many people are battling anxiety while simultaneously peaking cortisol levels. Along with social anxiety, pivoting off of the cemented footing of contemplation, which, at its core, is choice. Choice theory, developed by William Glasser, suggests we make decisions based on our most rudimentary and innate needs. How can I stand in front of the candy bar aisle, knowing that my physiology is craving carbohydrates, my brain is craving sugar, yet the availability of conscious choice through options is overwhelming to even use basic concepts such as deductive reasoning. I have more “control” – loose term –  deciding to cover my eyes and pick randomly within arms length than I do with a concerted effort and delineation to determine the perfectly satisfying and delectable treat from a wall of colorful and well-branded products. This is a crude example of what my point is here with Occam’s razor. But this analogous narrative maybe can take us into what it means to have choice, and what kind of empowerment decisive action can have on our lives.

K.I.S.S. Anyone familiar with this acronym? It’s commonly used on sitcoms among other humor derived media content. It stands for, “keep it simple stupid”. It’s kind of a catchy saying – certainly has a punchy if not slightly offensive unveiling. I’ll never forget the first time I watched The Office. Dwight was quoting Michael as he was giving feedback to the temp (Ryan) on the way to the sales call they had forgotten amongst their tom-foolery and hazing attempt for salesmanship development, “K.I.S.S. keep it simple stupid. Great advice! Hurts my feelings every time…” I digress. Do you ever imagine what simplicity at its finest would feel like (when considering solution-focused contemplation) and what it can do for the peace of our mind? Surely transformative and freeing. How often do you wrestle with decision-making even within a simple transaction between you and your partner of what to ingest, masticate, digest, and inevitably… you know the rest. Why is deciding dinner among a top priority that even has potential to breed contention, insecurity, confusion, and angst? In a world where overwhelm is inadvertently prioritized over peace, we have to hold ourselves accountable to a standard, recognizing that most of the choices we are allotted would be simplified if we just, you guessed it, keep it simple.

The implications of parsimony contribute beautifully to our conceptualization of simplicity. When our car won’t start we are given the choice to make an informed decision: we can toil with the intricacies of the car engine, replacing spark plugs, fixing camshafts, deconstructing the technical mechanical components, etc. Or, check to see if there is gas in the tank. Parsimony suggests looking at the basics before complicating our situation.

For my reader, if we feel anxious and lash out at the commuter who chose not to signal before cutting us off in rush-hour traffic, is the lashing out an action resulting from their behavior? Rather, is it because your frustration tolerance has been lowered as a result of difficult and inefficient levels of sleep the night prior. In Applied Behavioral Analysis, we call this a ‘setting event’ to an antecedent. The setting event is the sleep deprivation resulting in an exposed abnormal characteristic. The antecedent to your behavior is the scoundrel who cut you off. The behavior is the extreme, overly intensified action as a response to the stimuli. The consequence? This is more unique on a case-by-case basis. Typically, the consequence depends on how outrageous your response (behavior) to the stimuli (antecedent) was. In some cases, an expletive is expressed at a higher decibel range limited to the enclosed area of your vehicle; maybe even at the expense of your dog or loved one. Perhaps, not overly dramatic as far as a “consequence” goes. Yet typically uncomfortable nevertheless. However, the other end of that is overwhelming aggression resulting in inconceivable actions, and potentially harmful ones at that. Allowing ourselves to give in to a flight of emotional responses (emotional intelligence) because our ego insists we weren’t deserving of that person putting us in danger. Parsimony would allude us to calmly playing back the tape. Why am I uncharacteristically upset at this person? What could have caused this abnormal escalation of my emotions? Was it a result of my setting event, that my lack of sleep would cause my threshold for tolerance of negligence to be lesser than if I had indeed slept well the night before?

Taking into account not only our desires, as we have continuous choice for our needs, but our actions as well. We also have elements of ourselves that can be used for improvement and recognition. Some of these include: introspection, insight, metacognition, etc. If finding simplicity in our overcomplicated lives and/or situations leads to not only a healthier mindset but a more calm disposition and mentality, why wouldn’t we engage in Occam’s Razor: The principle of parsimony? Keep it simple. The result of impulsivity does not have to be a defining feature of our personality, merely part of the development of knowing oneself. If I was certain of which candy bar I liked, I wouldn’t have to be caught in a whirlpool of uncertainty when faced with the wall of decisions. If I knew that, from a Task Analysis perspective, checking the gas in my non-starting car was one of the first things I should check before opening the hood to deconstruct my engine, I would be properly applying my knowledge that life is the manifestation of lesser to greater in the context of problem solving. If I have uncharacteristic behavior due to road rage, I can utilize insight into my situation to recognize the influx of my emotions wasn’t caused by the stupidity of traffic, but my brain’s need for sleep.